Astra 1N chat - January 2012

[william-1]

Yes I remember that Minus 40C test with a 90cm dish gives good signals in the UK from Nilesat 101/102 @ 7 west including Horizontals,
This is a common practise by NASA for deep space satellite signals from Voyager I & 2.

 

[briangw]

while we wait for the bbc to move,how is signal reception of the new 1N tps in Spain? the itv,ch4 and sky tps that have moved from Astra 2D

In SE Spain (Almeria region), my Fortec Star Passion Passion shows 55-65% Quality on 2D off a 1.35m dish. This has now increased to 75-90% on 1N, meaning we now have a reasonable level of protection from rain-fade.

 

[fergyc]

Yes I remember that Minus 40C test with a 90cm dish gives good signals in the UK from Nilesat 101/102 @ 7 west including Horizontals,
This is a common practise by NASA for deep space satellite signals from Voyager I & 2.

Anyway to do that from a hobbyists point of view? I do have an old peltier cooler from a mini-fridge

 

[dvdfilm]

In SE Spain (Almeria region), my Fortec Star Passion Passion shows 55-65% Quality on 2D off a 1.35m dish. This has now increased to 75-90% on 1N, meaning we now have a reasonable level of protection from rain-fade.

very different situation between 2D and 1N,whereas when you look at the official footprint map they seem to have the same coverage area

 

[Analoguesat]

The 1N "UK beam" is a fabrication - the first published coverage map had a distinct bulge out over Spain. This has been removed from later editions.

 

[M60]

What new unused transponders are currently illuminated on 1N - not including active ones with services? There were a couple in DVB-S2 8PSK 3/4 a few weeks back, are these still on-air? I could wade through the thread but I guess Analoguesat will be able to tell me. Also, can someone post a link to the '2C' band frequency allocations, according to the SES bandplan.

 

[Analoguesat]

The "Cband" freqs are on the attachment. Dunno about whats active atm - I had the sat kit dismantled for nearly 2 weeks as we were decorating. I havent finished putting it all back together yet..

The horrible Duo is the one still connected to thin air

 

[M60]

The "Cband" freqs are on the attachment. Dunno about whats active atm - I had the sat kit dismantled for nearly 2 weeks as we were decorating. I havent finished putting it all back together yet..

The horrible Duo is the one still connected to thin air

Cheers for that, I'm going to do a few checks myself once the TV is free shortly, curious more than anything! Llew keeps a good record of what's new, perhaps he can fill us in too.

 

[ralphmagno]

hello, have tested out the ch 4 hd with a 1 meter dish here in naples and it will not come in at all.
all the 5 5us and the itv all come in good as long as the weather is good.
rain is another thing.
will check this nout with a 2 meter dish in these days.
a friend had checked ch 4 hd with a 1.25 and it comes in loke a bell.
thats all i have for now. used a fairmate hd its like a lenux box.
ralph

 

[lanab]

I am new here and i have real big problems getting Astra 1N here in Sweden now today, i have a Andrews 120cm dish with a Sky DRX890 which got a really good sensitive tuner but i can't get any vitterbi lock at all on any of the transponders now.

I used to get Astra 2D really good here, but the 1N is much weaker here, i can see the spikes in my spectrum analyzer from 1N but not enough signal to get lock.

 

[LNB2]

I used to get Astra 2D really good here, but the 1N is much weaker here, i can see the spikes in my spectrum analyzer from 1N but not enough signal to get lock.

Me too. During certain times of the day I get lock on several 1N channels, but most of the time is no luck. As for 2D and H pol, no problem.

 

[Huevos]

The 1N "UK beam" is a fabrication

I don't know why you say that. It obviously is a spot beam of some kind that is orientated towards the UK. Yes, it does favour us here compared to Eastern Europe but it not like we get a really strong signal, it's just that 1N is a very high power satellite. I did some comparisons a couple of weeks ago with SatelliteMan. Both of us using proper meters. Anyway to get the same MER that a zone one minidish in the UK produces you need a 1.8m dish here. Yes, you can just manage to get a signal on an 80cm dish (with plenty of interference from 26E and 30E) but any hint of the sky turning from blue to grey and the reception becomes borderline or colapses completely.

 

[iggy]

Guys, I have an observation regarding particular transponder – 10.729 seems to be much stronger comparing to other from 1N. Difference in signal strength is approximately 10% more. This is the only frequency, which I am able to receive 24/7. Did any of you notice that too?

 

[Mr Hoover]

I've noticed on the BBC Channels on 2D for the past two nights(and so has a colleague locally)at times there is a very rapid pixellation on the picture,like the signal becoming weaker for just a very short time and then back to normal,it doesn't happen very often...Has anyone else "out in the fringes" noticed this?

Hugh

 

[timo_w2s]

I don't know why you say that. It obviously is a spot beam of some kind that is orientated towards the UK. Yes, it does favour us here compared to Eastern Europe but it not like we get a really strong signal, it's just that 1N is a very high power satellite. I did some comparisons a couple of weeks ago with SatelliteMan. Both of us using proper meters. Anyway to get the same MER that a zone one minidish in the UK produces you need a 1.8m dish here. Yes, you can just manage to get a signal on an 80cm dish (with plenty of interference from 26E and 30E) but any hint of the sky turning from blue to grey and the reception becomes borderline or colapses completely.

It has a side lobe to the south west designed for when it's at 19.2E next year. Most of the signal is pointing to the UK but there is significant overspill to the south west by design and I will be extremely surprised if it exists on the next lot of 28.2E purpose built satellites.

 

[PaulR]

Yes, I agree. I think what AS was trying to say was that it IS a spot beam but it's not one specifically designed for the UK.

 

[bfk]

Here in Norway (Trondheim) the signal from 1N is much stronger than from 2D. With a 1.8m dish 2D is 55% and 1N is 80% signal strength. I even think it is possible to get it with a 90cm dish, have not tried but a 110cm sish works excellent.

 

[dvdfilm]

I've noticed on the new itv,ch4 tps after moving from Astra 2D that there isn't pixelation during the evening

 

[Bob Meade]

I've noticed on the BBC Channels on 2D for the past two nights(and so has a colleague locally)at times there is a very rapid pixellation on the picture,like the signal becoming weaker for just a very short time and then back to normal,it doesn't happen very often...Has anyone else "out in the fringes" noticed this?

Hugh

I've noticed this pixilation on the BBC news channel about 30 mins ago, & according to the signal readings, I'm getting 100% quality & 90% sig strength, I suggest it is an uplink signal problem, perhaps as the changeover will take place tonight & 1N is being tested?
Bob

 

[Analoguesat]

I don't know why you say that. It obviously is a spot beam of some kind that is orientated towards the UK. Yes, it does favour us here compared to Eastern Europe but it not like we get a really strong signal, it's just that 1N is a very high power satellite. I did some comparisons a couple of weeks ago with SatelliteMan. Both of us using proper meters. Anyway to get the same MER that a zone one minidish in the UK produces you need a 1.8m dish here. Yes, you can just manage to get a signal on an 80cm dish (with plenty of interference from 26E and 30E) but any hint of the sky turning from blue to grey and the reception becomes borderline or colapses completely.

You misunderstand my comment

The nice oval uk spot beam SES have on the website is a fabrication. The very first footprint SES released (which was rapidly withdrawn) has a nice broad bulge towards the south west that would cover Spain/Portugal nicely when the satellite is slotted at 19E